Electric-sign switch



April 6 1926. A14,579,870

. J. KLASNCH ET AL ELECTRIC SIGN SWITCH Filed July 29. 1922 2 sheets-sheet 1 main- .Lin A' 2 Fiyi Jak 77 /fiasnzc mvsm'on ATTORNEY April 6 192e. 1,579,870

J. KLASNlCH ET AL ELECTRIC SXGN SWITCH Filed July 29, 1922 2 sheets-sheet 2 WITNSS ATTORNEY Patented Apr. 6, 1926.

AUNITED STATES 1,579,870 PATENT orifice.,

JOHN KLASNICH AND JOHN J. ZWALS-I, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO.

Application filed .Tuly 29, 1922. Serial No. 578,397.

To all whom if may concern:

Be it known that we, JOHN KLASNICH and Joiiiv J. Zwiiiisir, citizens of the United States, residing at Cleveland, in the county of Cuyahoga and State of Ohio, have invented new and useful Improvements in Electric-Sign Switches, of which the following is a specification.

The object of our said invention is the provision of a switch designed more especially, but not necessarily, for electric signs and constructed with a view to materially economizing in the use of electric current and with a view to automatically operating in a reliable manner atter it is adjusted to meet a particular condition.

'Io the attainment of the foregoing, the invention consists in the improvement as hereinafter described and deiinitely claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, for-ming part of this speciiication Figure 1 is a front elevation of the switch mechanism constituting the best practical embodiment of our invention that we` have as yet devised. Y

Figure' 2 is a vertical transverse section taken in the plane indicated by the line 2 2 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a section taken in the plane indicated by the line 3-3 of Figure l, lool;- ing downwardly.

Figures fl and 5 are detail views herein after explicitly referred to.

Figure 6 is a diagrammatic view illustrative of the electrical connections and arrangement.

Similar numerals ot reference designate corresponding parts in all oit the views of the drawings.

A plurality ot incandescent electric lamps 1 and a switch 2 are arranged in parallel as will be readily understood by comparison of Figures 1 and 6, the lamps 1 being elec# trically connected together as designated by 3, and each lamp 1 being electrically conn nected by a lead L1 with an individual terminal 5X. It will also be understood that one end lamp of the series is connected by a lead 5 with a positive pole or' a source of electric energy 6 and the other end lamp of the series is connected by a lead 7 with the winding of a solenoid 8. The said winding of the solenoid 8 is also connected by a lead 9 with a terminal 10 on a vertically swinging lever 11, the said terminal 10 being opposed to a stationary terminal 12 connected through a lead 13 with the positive pole of the source of energy 6. It will further be observed that a lead 1d electrically connects the lead 13 with a terminal 15 on a movable switch member 16 which is fixed with respect to and is rotatable by a ratchet wheel 17. rllie said vertically swinging lever 11 is provided with upper and lower arms 18 and 19. Fulcrumed at 2O is a verticallyswinging beam 21 thc free end of which is disposed and movable between the said arms 1S and 19 of the lever 11. rEhe said beam 21 is provided with a lateral projection 22 to engage the said arms 1S and 19, and carried by the said beam 21 is a pawl 28 to en gage the teeth of the ratchet wheel 17. The said pawl 23 is yieldingly moved toward the ratchet wheel 17 by the'gravitational action of the comparatively heavy arm 24 of the pawl which pawl is pivoted to the beam at the point 25. and extending upwardly from the free end portion of the beam 21 is a rod 26von which is the armature 27 of the solenoid 8 and on which is also a piston 28, the said piston being movable in a cylinder 29 the upper portion or' which is provided with a valved vent 80( Arranged on and in parallelism to the beam 21is a threaded rod 31 on which is adjustable a heavy nut or Weight 32; rl`he piston 28 in combination with vthe Ycylinder 29 and the valved vent 30 are provided in order that the upward movement of the beam 21 can be readily regulated, i. e., retarded to a greater or less extent as conditions require. rilhe heavy nut or weight 32V is provided in combination with the thread ed rod 31 on which the nut is adjustable in the direction of the length of the rod in order to increase or diminish the gravit-ational capacity of the beam 21.

In the practical operation of our novel switch it will be manifest that with current supplied from the positive pole. oit the source et' energy through the lead 5, the series of lamps 1, the lamp connections 3 and the lead'5'to the winding ot the solenoid S, the beam 21 will be raised, and through the inediuni of the pawl 23 will ro- Ytate the ratchet wheel 17 and the sweep 1G in clockwise direction. As the beam Q1 approaches the end ot its upward movement, the lateral projection 22' by cooperation with the upper arm 1S moves the lever 11 and thereby breaks the return connection from Appropriately connected to Stil iio

the solenoid winding to the source of.

energy 6 by separating the terminal 10 from the terminal 12.l At this time the switch member 16 is in contact with one ot the stationary terminals 5X, and in consequence the lamp l complementar] to the said terminal 5X Will be caused to glow, the return Jfrom the said lamp 1 being,l through the said terminal 5, the terminal 15, and the leads 14C and 13 to the negative pole ot the source of energy. rEhe said glowing of the said lamp, will continue iintil the beam 2l gravi- GatesY sullicieiitly to enabley the projection 22 by cooperation with the arm 19 to replace the terminal 1 0 in contact ivith the terminal 12. Under this latter condition, the lamp circuit will be interrupted and the solenoid cii'cnit Will bev again completed, W iereby the Operation described will be repeated until the terminal on the member i6 is n contact with the terminal 5X et the nent succeeding lamp, l.

I t will be manifest from the foregoing that threiig'li the medi i et oni' improve* mentv only minimum amount et currentis employed, and it Will also be manifest that We attain the said desired end through the medium of a simple and reliable mechanism and one Well adapted to withstand the. usage to which, electric switch ineclianisn'i is ordinarily subjected.

Vile have entered into detailed description ot the construction and relative airangement o the parts embraced in 'the present and preferred embodiment ot oiir invention in order to impart a t'ull, clear and exact Linderstanding` of the said embodiinent. NY e do not desire, lio-Wever, tov be understood as confining ourselves to the said specific construction and relative arrangement ot parts inasmuch as in the fiitnre practice of the invention various said piston and havingr a valved vent, a atcliet .vheel, a circular series ot spaced erminals, a terminal movable step by step liroiioli the medium of the said ratchet YU' vlieeiP a vertica l swinging beam having' a later projection, a pawl carried by said bea n For movingl the ratchet wheel step by p, a terminal electrically connected with y id snaced tern'iinals, said movable terminal .n jd solenoid, and a vertically swinging i electrically connected with the solei and liavii s )per and lower arms to red by said lateral projection of the 2. lfn an electric switch, the combination el a stationariT terminal, a vertically swinging lever havin a terminal opposed to said tionary terA al and also having upper having a lateral projection for coation with said'arms of the verticali.v7

. f .l 'ing lever, a solenoid tor moving said a terminal, means operated by the beam lor moving said terminal, and spaced terminals ier cooperation with said movable terminal.

il w Y l i 7 nflf'v, T. Q' in testimony iv ieieo ne a ria oni VNignatiires. y

ing beam l lower spaced arms, a vertically swing 

